The ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has undoubtedly affected many things positively and negatively, especially Nigerian students.
Since its inception on February 14, it has led to the closure of most public universities in Nigeria, caused unwelcome disruption of academic activities and left most students unsure of what to do next, with little or no hope of recovery.
This situation has now lasted for over seven months. Among the many reasons for the strike, the unfulfilled promises of the Federal Government were the plague of the strike, which also broke the ASUU trust system.
In addition, the refusal of the Federal Government to pay the union’s six months salaries has recently added other passion to the rigid spirits of the union.
Should Students Put Their Personal Development on Strike Too?
Since the ASUU strike began, many students have become disillusioned, and others are slowly becoming inactive at home. Some students have turned to crimes such as online scams, commonly known as “YAHOO”, as their daily job to survive.
The ASUU strike may put students’ educational plans and goals on hold, but it does not affect their lives.
Yes, it does, but students should use this academic delay wisely and productively for personal growth.
Most students keep in mind that the strike will soon be over. But what if the recovery doesn’t happen this year? What if there is no divine intervention? What happens if the courts continue to delay? What happens if the federal government refuses to pay ASUU salaries?
What if we have to wait even longer? In the meantime, what is the way forward when recovery is still delayed? What should students do when the two sides cannot agree on their differences?
Ways To Cope And Be Productive While The Strike Is On Going
1. Become entrepreneurs
Instead of complaining about the ASUU strike, students should take advantage of it to earn money before it is called off. Now is the time to focus all your attention on the business you have in mind and make the most of it.
There is no excuse for compromising your education. During the strike, you can become productive and financially independent.
Students must be willing to take risks, regardless of the circumstances. Most of them missed opportunities because of fear of the resumption of their studies.
By becoming entrepreneurs, we need to develop ideas that will turn into businesses, providing solutions to problems. In this way, you will become your boss.
2. Acquiring skills
Acquiring skills is a good and excellent asset for any young person. In Nigeria, where the unemployment rate is very high, people survive with the skills they possess.
Many young people rely on skills to feed and take care of their families daily. Nowadays, there are many skills to learn, but it would be better to utilize digital skills because the world has gone digital.
Most digital skills are accessible free of charge online: copywriting, coding, graphic design, content creation, content marketing, social media management, UI/UX design, video editing, virtual assistant, and so on.
You can take advantage of digital skills such as Google’s digital marketing skills, website design through any content management system (CMS), and other Google design courses.
Interestingly, all of these courses are available for free online. We can use this time to acquire the above skills that will make us self-sufficient and independent. Most students have seen opportunities to enrol in these skills but have neglected them, waiting for ASUU to call off the strike.
It is important to know that the skills you acquire today will not only be useful now, but also when you graduate. In fact, when students become proficient in these skills, they earn passive income and improve their growth.
3. Internship opportunities
Having only good grades or degrees cannot guarantee a job in this 21st century. Most organisations today value experience more than grades and degrees. Therefore, applying for internship opportunities would greatly help you explore different career paths that would allow you to gain work experience that you would need later in the labour market.
As a student, you can do an internship with an organisation that interests you. Sometimes they are unpaid, but you can be sure that you will gain valuable work experience. An internship allows you to explore various career opportunities before you start. It is, therefore, a good opportunity to build up and gain some knowledge of how the sector works.
All you need to do is prepare your mind, be open to learning new things, ask questions, research companies online and identify people who can connect you with internship opportunities. It is worth your time and experience until you graduate. Even though most internship opportunities are unpaid, it is still useful to have a platform for training and useful work experience for your curriculum vitae (CV), even before graduation.
4. Taking online courses
Online courses are great because you can learn any subject anytime, anywhere. Online courses offer flexibility. We can enrol in these courses as long as we have the necessary materials, such as phones, laptops, etc., to access online courses without leaving our homes’ comfort. Online courses are designed so that we can multitask while attending classes or simply in the bedroom in our underwear.
Taking online courses from reputable platforms such as Udemy, Google, Udacity, Alison, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning and so on is also a way to go. Some of the courses provided by these platforms are free, while others are fee-based. These platforms will offer us certificates that we can include in our curriculum; therefore, even if ASUU finally ends the strike, the resumption of schools will not affect your enrolment in online courses.
5. Content creation
Content creation is essentially the creation of topic ideas that appeal to an audience. It is the creation of written or visual content and making it available to an audience in the form of blogs, videos, infographics or social media.
Content creation is one of the world’s most highly paid and demanding skills today. Content creators curate creative content online and get paid on YouTube, Tiktok, Trovo and many other platforms to showcase their skills.
6. Community service/volunteering
Community service is not only a way to help oneself but also a noble way to make society a better and cleaner place. Civil service is a better way for students to increase social balance and respect in their communities.
Some of the activities you can undertake as a university student are volunteering with civil society or humanitarian service organisations in your community. You could volunteer to teach in schools, mentor and influence young people in your community. This is a great way that will definitely help you preserve knowledge.
7. Book Reading
Want to be intellectually productive? Read books! In addition to academic books, there are various types of books you can read to brush up on your reading style. Books that range from personal growth and development, motivation, spirituality, relationships, etc.
The knowledge gained from reading books is so valuable and can be used in all areas of human life. Perhaps you are thinking, ‘what is the essence of reading’? The truth is that there are many benefits that can be gained from reading books to understand the benefits of reading better.
8. Travelling
There is never a wrong time to travel. As a student, you may not have a lot of resources available for long leisure trips, but you can visit another state within the country or simply other cities within your state.
Travelling can be both fun, interesting and educational for students. The fact is that you have to serve your country, so while you decide to travel, you can determine where you would like to serve once you complete your studies.
9. Participate in seminars and personal development events
Spending time at home can be an excellent opportunity to improve your social skills. Attend conferences, seminars and events. These are not necessarily vocational seminars or professional events.
They could be events that offer the opportunity to explore your hobbies or just have fun. They also offer the opportunity to network and expose new knowledge. They could be book readings, slam poetry competitions, meetings, concerts, etc.
Conclusion
The things you can do to be productive during the ASUU strike are not limited to the aforementioned ways. There are other different things you can do to cope with the strike. You just need to figure out what you can do to be productive during this academic delay. Imagine returning to school with an additional wealth of knowledge, not limited to your subject knowledge: isn’t that extraordinary?
The thought that you can use the skills you have learned to start earning and sustaining yourself in your studies is so enticing. A break in your studies is not a break in your life. Be productive during this academic delay! You will not regret it!
